Colored by Love
by Talesoftwofairies
Summary: Based on the AU in which people see in black and white until they lock eyes with their soulmate: NALU


Natsu wasn't really surprised that this would be how he would meet his soulmate, sprawled out on the concrete ground with a busted up ankle and cut knees, his skateboard rolling to who knows where. In fact, he should have been prepared if his life had taught him anything. He had been an energetic kid with some minor anger issues and a knack for accidentally destroying everything. His dad, well adopted dad technically but Natsu never saw him as anything less than his real father, had told him many times after countless fights and parent/teacher conferences that Natsu shouldn't apologize for who he was. Because his dad knew that he'd only fought other kids when they bullied others, which was how he made one his closest friends (not that he would ever admit that to anyone) named Gray. His dad said he was energetic because he felt life more vibrantly than others, even though he couldn't see the myriad of colors the world was painted with. Natsu had taken his father's comments to heart even when he wasn't around to tell him that himself. He recalled them whenever he was feeling depressed or angry and whenever he knelt in front of and touched the cold indentations in his father's gravestone. His father's words were etched into his very soul which was why when the girl he had just ran over groaned as she sat up, staring at him when they locked eyes, all he had to give her was a bright smile.

Lucy on the other hand had dreamed about this moment since her mother had started describing the world when she would tuck Lucy into bed. Her mother painted with words what the world truly looked liked, a world filled with wondrous colors that Lucy would dream about as she drifted to sleep. When she was little it was the colors she wanted to see, she didn't care about the soulmate who came with it.

(Lucy laid in her bed, her gray blanket tucked up to her chin. "So when I look at my soulmate's eyes then I'll be able to see the colors?"

Her mother laid beside her, petting her hair. "Yes sweetie."

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "But what if I just want to see the colors? I don't want to be stuck with someone I don't know!" She exclaimed, leaning forward.

Her mother chuckled, her almost white hair spilling over shoulders. "You will get to know them though. They'll be a half of you, you didn't know you were missing. It will feel like you had known them for all of your life."

Lucy frowned for a moment before looking up at her mother. "Is that what it felt like with you and daddy?"

Her mother grabbed her and cuddled her closer. "Yes just like that." She poked Lucy's stomach erupting giggles from the little girl. "Think of it as finding your best friend."

"But you're my best friend! I don't need anyone else!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Well it's a different kind of best friend when it's your soulmate." Her mother explained.

But Lucy knew no one would ever take the place of her mom as she listened to her mother describe what the colors looked liked, lulling Lucy to sleep.)

As she grew however, she stopped caring about the colors. At the age of 12 her mother passed away from rare sickness. After that Lucy understood why people lost the ability to see colors when their soulmate died. Not that she had ever seen the colors but it made sense all the same. Why should the world be beautiful when the person that made the world beautiful was gone? No, she had stopped caring about the colors and started dreaming that her soulmate would come and steal her away. After her mother's death, her father changed. He started pouring his energy into his work, ignoring Lucy to the point he forgot birthdays and graduations. He would yell at her if she tried to talk to him. He also started to control her life, sending her the most expensive all girls prep school despite Lucy trying to tell him multiple times that she wasn't happy. She became a social outcast, having no friends, only bullies who harassed her. She spent lunches alone in the empty halls and the evenings alone in her empty room. She had no one, only her books and her spent her past times dreaming of the day she would meet her soulmate, the one who would carry her away from this horrible life she had no control over.

She saw the world in black and white hues but didn't complain, she thought it fitting.

When her dad brought her into his study a few days after missing her high school graduation decreeing that she would be going to a private university where she would be studying business in order to take over the family business, she'd had enough. She packed up her belongings, climbed out of her window, and bought the first ticket out of the city. She ended up in Magnolia working as a small time journalist to put herself through community college until she made enough to go to Magnolia University.

For the first time in her life she had control over her future. She had made friends, supported herself, and was passing all her classes. And while some of her friends had already met their soul mates, and Lucy couldn't completely deny that she didn't crave to meet her soulmate, it wasn't at the top of her list. It was more like a thought that flittered into her mind in down times. She no longer needed her soulmate to whisk her away from her miserable life, she had done that herself, which made her smile even on her worst days. She didn't have time to dream or worry about meeting her soulmate. She had her own life to worry about, a life she gave herself.

Which was why when she looked up from her phone just in time to look into the eyes of a boy heading right toward her on a skateboard, she froze. In the split second before he barreled into her, she realized something was off about the boy's eyes. Before she could figure out what it was, she had smacked into the ground, skinning her elbow, the boy falling on top her her. With her eyes still shut, she shoved him off her. He groaned in response but Lucy didn't care. Slowly, she lifted up and grabbed her head. She heard the boy shuffling to her right. She opened her eyes and opened her mouth to start yelling at him, but stopped short.

She gaped at him while he let out a string of apologies as he blindly sat up.

He slowly opened his eyes which then widened in surprise. The boy's shock slowly melted away leaving a brilliant grin and Lucy found she couldn't look away.

He was smiling at her with pure joy.

The world was in color and it was more vibrant than her mother had told her. His eyes were amazing, dark but with spots of different shades. She didn't know what color it was - how could she identify names with something she had never seen? - but they were beautiful none the less.

His hair though was another story. It was the weird. She didn't know how that could be an actual hair color, whatever color it was. It looked unnatural.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry for running over you, but you know, kind of glad I did now."

"Your hair." Was the only thing she could say as she pointed at the mop of spiky hair on his head.

"What-Oh." He took a strand and examined it, frowning. "What kind of color is this?" He exclaimed. "You know, when my friend Gray first saw me after meeting his soulmate he burst out laughing at my hair…I see why now."

Lucy giggled.

They stared at each other until Natsu glanced at something moving down her arm.

"Oh my god you're bleeding!" He exclaimed, lurching forward. He took her arm, clearly oblivious to her tensing at his closeness, and gently turned it over to get a better look.

He frowned.

"What?" She asked.

"Is blood suppose to look like this? I'm not sure this is normal. I mean look at it. You must be weird or something."

She slapped his arm. "Of course it's probably normal! You shouldn't insult someone you just met, especially when they're your soulmate!"

He stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing. Lucy huffed in annoyance but he only grinned at her.

"I like you, you got fire. Let's get you bandaged up, soulmate!"

Lucy blushed at his comment. When she realized she was she shook her head.

"My name is Lucy."

"My name's Natsu!" He stood up only to stumble wincing at his ankle.

Lucy frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Nah I'm fine." He waved her off. He held out his hand to help her out, which she accepted with a small smile and tinted cheeks.

They walked, or in Natsu's case limped, to their school's nursing station all while asking the normal introduction questions. Lucy found herself laughing at his comments and mannerisms. He was the complete opposite of what she expected her soulmate to be like. He was outgoing and loud and didn't like to read but she found herself relaxed in his presence despite just meeting him. In fact, he was practically bouncing with excitement despite his hurt ankle. His smile though was what was making her heart melt.

When they got to the nurses station they patched Lucy up first before inspecting Natsu's ankle. While she waited in the lobby she could hear Natsu's shouts of protest when the nurse must have moved his ankle wrong. She stared at the posters on the wall. They were of people and places and diagrams. None of the people in the waiting room or on the poster had Natsu's hair color which made Lucy chuckle to herself. Curiosity burned in the back of her head. She pulled out her phone and googled "colors". Immediately lists and charts showed her which color was which. She discovered that Natsu's hair was color was called pink.

She only looked up when she heard a shuffling down the hall and then a grumbling, slightly limping Natsu emerged.

"I have a twisted ankle." He grumbled. He looked so downtrodden with his disheveled outfit and messy hair Lucy couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, don't laugh at my pain! I'm wounded!" He exclaimed.

"You ran into me! I can laugh with karma if I want!" She said standing.

He pouted before a giant grin spread on his face. There was a glint in his eyes. "Hey, wanna go on an adventure?!"

Lucy was doubtful. She eyed his ankle but his grin never even twitched. "You sure you're up for it? I mean you're ankle-"

"It's not far. And I'm big and manly." He answered puffing out his chest. "I can handle it!"

She eyed him over again warily, before giving in to his smile. She nodded.

"Awesome! Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and hobbled as fast he could out the door.

He held her hand the whole trek up a hill on the other side of campus. She was blushing profusely, distracting herself by all the colors of the world. As they hiked she told Natsu the color of everything they passed, the green grasses and leaves, the brown bark, the blue sky, everything she saw.

Eventually they reached the top. The sun was just about to set. Natsu plopped down on the grass and Lucy joined him.

"I wanna see the sunset with the whole sha-bang. It's not the same in black and white I heard." He explained.

Lucy grinned and they sat in silence watching the sun slowly descend. The sun hit the horizon line and the sky exploded in colors. Different shades of pink and oranges streaked across the sky.

She gasped. "It matches your hair." She said and reached out a touched a strand before blushing when she realized what she had done. She was just so comfortable with him, like she had known him all her life.

She instantly withdrew her hand. "Sorry." She mumbled looking away.

But then he reached out and brushed her hair with his own fingertips.

"Your hair matches the sun." He beamed.

They smiled at each other, switching from watching the sunset to glancing at each other, each dreaming of life with the other.

When the colors faded and the night emerged, Natsu brushed off the grass on his hands on his jeans while Lucy stood. They walked down the hill talking about their classes til they hit a cross road. They both stopped.

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck. "So…. I'm this way." He pointed behind him.

"And I'm that way." She pointed behind her.

Natsu nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He smiled cheekily at her. "Wanna meet me on the hill tomorrow for sunset again?"

Lucy couldn't help yet another smile spread across her face. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Awesome! See you later soulmate!" With that he turned around and limped off into the distance.

Lucy watched his retreating form against the yellow glow of the street lights.

"I'll see you later soulmate." She whispered into the night.

She turned away, walking through the night, onwards into the future.

* * *

The years passed and they continued their sunset ritual everyday all while growing closer. They became inseparable, though it took over a year for them to actually start dating. (Lucy had been explaining a project she was working on during one of their sunsets when out of nowhere Natsu had kissed her. He had pulled away with a blush and nervous expression. "Sorry, I just really wanted to-" He was cut off by Lucy jumping on him, crashing her lips to his. She had been waiting for him to make a move forever.)

In a blink of an eye they had graduated from college and bought their first apartment together. Lucy worked as a journalist during the day and a writer at night. Natsu became a firefighter.

Their life was filled with love and laughter. Natsu's favorite moments were the lazy ones, lounging on the couch and threading his fingers through her golden hair while she read a book, morning cuddles with sleepy kisses. He also found endless amusement teasing her in anyway he could. One time he blew flour in her face and next thing they knew there were eggs on the ceiling and flour scattered everywhere. It had taken two days to clean (even now he would still find remnants of that day) but it had been worth it just from the laughter that had erupted from Lucy's throat. He loved her with everything he had.

They married when they turned 26, a small simple wedding on the beach, yellow sand between their toes and blue waves crashing with only close friends and family..

They were now 30 and Lucy was 8 months pregnant. Natsu was absolutely overjoyed. He ached for a family of his own to fill their empty house with laughter and energy. When she told him the news he had lifted her in the air and twirled her around. They had both so desperately wanted a large family after growing up quite alone, and now they were finally starting their dream. While the months passed he watched in amazement as her stomach grew. He would talk to his daughter or son while Lucy napped or read. He would sometimes catch her watching him, a small smile on her face with a twinkle in her eyes.

Their world was vibrant and wondrous, filled with love and life. While not perfect, those moments only made them stronger, only made the colors more meaningful.

Until one afternoon.

That morning Lucy was rushing around, putting on red lipstick while searching in vain for her shoes.

"Natsu! Have you seen my black shoes with the gold trim? They're the only nice comfy shoes I have now!" She yelled.

Her husband bounded down the stairs in their tiny house, the stairs creaking with each step.

He ran up to her and kissed her on the cheek before revealing the shoes she wanted from behind his back.

"These?"

Lucy nodded and bent down to put them on. Then stood and walked over to their full size mirror..

"I look like a fat whale." She said dejectedly.

Natsu sat on the edge of their couch. "A pretty fat whale!" He contributed.

Lucy whipped around, hand on hip. "You're not suppose to agree!"

"Lucy you're eight months pregnant, of course you look like a fat whale." She started to yell but he simply walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed her. "You're carrying our kid which means the fatter you are, the better."

She whacked his arm. He looked at her incredulously. "You're gonna have to get used to it cause she's gonna need a baby sister or brother to play with." He answered with a smirk, rubbing her belly.

Lucy blinked before smiling softly. "A big family together, that was the plan right?"

Natsu beamed at her before kissing her forehead. "That's the plan."

Lucy sighed and leaned into his chest, embracing his warmth.

They stood there a moment, Natsu's arms wrapped around the two people who made up his whole world, before Lucy stepped away.

As Lucy started packing her purse, a growing sense of unease started seeping through Natsu's senses. It was like something was nagging at him in the back of his mind and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't place it.

Lucy stood and walked over, kissing him swiftly before pulling away. "I'll be back by five, try not to burn down the house while I'm gone." She smirked and started for the door before Natsu reached out and grabbed her hand.

Lucy turned around, startled. "Natsu?"

Natsu gulped. He knew this fear was probably irrational but he just couldn't shake his unease. "Just-...Just be careful."

Lucy smiled before nodding. "Of course." She swung back around, opening the door to the bright light of the sun.

Natsu watched as her black silhouette shut the door, closing out the light. He stared at the door for a few minutes after she had gone, shuddering at the sempiternity of the moment. He gave one last look at the door, replaying the last moments he saw her, before turning around and going about his day, brushing off his anxiety .

* * *

Natsu decided after dropping off some papers at work he would stop by the farmers market in town to grab some produce that Lucy loved. One stand brought the sweetest pastries they had ever tasted and another sold some dip that Lucy loved to slather over everything. He walked along the stalls admiring all the variations of fruits and vegetables. Food looked so much more appetizing now that he could see the color of it. Before it looked bland in the black and white lens, but in color, any plate of food could make his mouth water just looking at it.

He wandered over to one stand and marveled at the reddest apples he had ever seen.

"I hand grow those apples, no pesticides or herbicides. Completely organic. Would you like some?" The stall owner asked with a proud grin on his face.

Natsu nodded and grabbed the paper bag that the owner handed to him.

He reached out for the deliciously red apple, his mouth watering at the very sight of it but froze.

It flickered. HIs hand froze in its place. That was weird, Natsu thought as he blinked his eyes. He stared at it for a moment, nothing happened. He reached out again but then the world, his whole vision, violently flickered out of color. Suddenly, there was a sharp snap in his brain and his heart. With a gasp he fell forward, collapsing onto the stand. He squeezed his eyes shut, sweat beaded his forehead. He felt arms around him lower him to the ground. When he opened his eyes, the world was wrong. The colors were flickering and melting.

A sharp cold gripped his heart. People were surrounding him, asking him questions but he didn't hear them, only one thought consumed his mind.

He pushed himself up, staggering.

"Sir are you alright? We called an ambulance. Please sit dow-"

"Lucy." He mumbled. He pushed through the crowd, grabbing his phone from his pocket, and dialed her number. He couldn't breathe correctly, his breaths coming out unevenly, his hands shaking.

"Hi this is Lucy. Please leav-" He hung up and called again.

He tried her again and again as he ran toward his car. The colors were blending and melting, sometimes growing bright before fading again. His head pounded, his heart stuttered.

He couldn't lose her. _He couldn_ _'_ _t lose her._

 _This wasn_ _'_ _t happening._

He kept calling as he drove home, running several lights. He burst through their door shouting her name and running to each room but she wasn't there. His voice echoed off the walls. He called her co-workers, their friends, and family but no one had heard from her.

The colors were really faded now, barely holding on and Natsu couldn't breathe. He called several hospitals but none had anyone matching her description.

Finally, after what could have been hours or minutes, he got a call from a unknown number.

"Hello." He answered frantically.

"Hello is this Natsu Dragneel?" The other voice was cold and far too clinical.

"Yes."

"This is Central Fiore Hospitable. A women by the name of Lucy Dragneel was in an accident…."

* * *

Natsu crashed through the hospital doors, running to the counter.

Out of breath he coughed out. "Lucy Dragneel! My wife! She- she was in an accident- the colors-."

The attendant's eyes widened, flickering between green and gray. "Yes she's in emergency surgery-"

"Is she alright?!" He growled. "She's pregnant! Eight months along-"

"Our surgeons are doing everything in their power-"

He slammed the counter. "THAT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!"

"Natsu!" He heard his name behind him but he ignored them and kept yelling at the poor attendant.

He only stopped when he felt strong arms drag him away from the counter. He whipped his head around to glare at whoever was stopping him but he was met by the face of his friend Gray.

"Natsu, calm down. They are doing everything they can-"

"NO! Its not enough, the colors-" As he talked a wave of nausea hit him, rolling through his stomach. He clutched his stomach, almost collapsing over.

"Woah. Natsu. Hey, you okay?" Gray set him down on a chair, steadying him with a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Natsu didn't answer, he couldn't really do anything except try in vain to not drown in the worry that flooded his heart.

Hours past with no word from the doctors.

The world was distorting. Natsu's head kept pounding as the world tilted on its axis. The hair of Gray's wife, Juvia, was melting back and forth between blue and gray.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

He focused on his breathing but froze. His blood turned to ice. A piercing fear nauseated his stomach and was growing bigger and bigger.

The clock ticked.

For a moment, all was unnervingly calm. The world was still.

Then.

SNAP.

The world cemented into black and white.

He screamed. He launched himself out of his chair, running to the doors. Hot tears drowned his vision.

Something grabbed him from behind, crashing him to the floor. His screams pierced the air and echoed through the flickering halls.

"LET ME GO! LUCY! LUCY! LET ME GO DAMMIT! I HAVE TO- I have to-" He roared and sobbed, shaking in uncontrollable rage.

"Natsu. There's nothing-" Gray choked. "There's nothing you can do."

His strength abandoned him. The only thing keeping him upright on his knees was the person holding him up.

"Lucy…..oh god." He clamped a hand over his mouth. "Oh god, Lucy...My Lucy." He sobbed. He should have been there. His thoughts scrambled and ran, he couldn't pinpoint any conscious thought down but he knew one thing: it was his fault. He knew something felt wrong all day. He knew, but he didn't do anything, he shook off his anxiety. If only he had gone with her or forced her to stay, or something- anything- and she would have been alive right now. They would have been curled up on the couch, enjoying each others warmth. If he only he had done something she wouldn't be- wouldn't be-.

A raw strangled scream escaped his throat

His throat was scorched and raw but he kept screaming. Screaming was all he could do to release the ache, to try to fill the abyss in his soul. It felt like someone had reached into his soul and cleaved it in half and he was left bleeding with nothing to staunch the blood.

He couldn't breathe.

His mind slipped and he could do nothing as his consciousness fell down a cliff into an oblivion.

* * *

Numb.

That was all he felt, if you can call it feeling.

He was drained. He had nothing left. If he didn't have her, what could life possibly be worth? She made life colorful and it wasn't the colors that made it so, it was her and her warmth and smile and love and-.

Natsu choked back another sob but it was useless, he felt tears drip down his cheeks.

His ears picked up the sound of clicking heels from where he was slumped in one of the chairs in the hospital waiting room. He wasn't really sure how he got there or how long he had been sitting. The last thing he remembered was Gray telling him he had to go fill out some paperwork, leaving him alone with only his thoughts and a black and white world.

"Natsu Dragneel?" A voice questioned.

He lifted his heavy head and looked at the girl with red-rimmed eyes.

It was a nurse, dressed in white, that color he could see, but the rest of her was nondescript. He didn't know her eye color or her hair color. He found that he didn't care. Without- without her, there was no point anyway.

"What?" He croaked.

"We put her in an incubator, she is very small though not in a life threatening way. We will need to monitor her for about a week and half and then you'll be free to take her home."

The haze in his mind was making him unable to focus. Natsu shook his head, uncomprehendingly. "My wife is dead."

The nurse frowned for a moment. "Yes, but your baby isn't."

Natsu stilled. His breathing stuttered. "What?" He looked up at her, not daring to believe the words she had just uttered.

"The surgeons were able to save your child." She shuffled her feet. "I am very sorry about your wife but they tried everything they could. In the end they were safely able to remove your baby but by then your wife had lost too much blood. We are very sorry for your loss."

Natsu could only stare.

"However, would you like to meet your daughter?"

The nurse led him down a maze of white hallways. Natsu lost track of the twist and turns as he blindly followed the nurse.

His daughter survived. HIs daughter survived but his wife-his soulmate- was gone and he couldn't process any of it. He was numb with incomprehensible pain. He didn't know how he was standing, let alone walking.

The nurse stopped in front of a white door that blended in with the rest of the hospital walls.

He was shaking. He was going to meet his daughter. His daughter that will grow up without a mother. _Oh God_ how was he going to do this? He can't raise her on his own. He needed Lucy. He can't do this without her, he can't. He can't cook or do his little girl's hair or talk to her about boys. And Lucy was the one who read all the baby books while he nodded off on the couch holding her.

Natsu choked when a thought came crashing to the front of his thoughts, freezing him in place while the nurse opened the door and waited for him.

He would never know what his daughter truly looked like. He would never know the color of her hair or if she had his or Lucy's eyes. His throat closed up and a new wave of tears flooded his eyes.

He can't do this.

"Would you like a moment?" The nurse asked, sensing his unease.

Natsu looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. He nodded turning away, letting the panic wash over him. He gave himself only a moment to freak out because he knew no matter how scared he was, this was his and Lucy's child, he would never give up on her.

Steeling himself, he rubbed his eyes and clenched his jaw before turning around to face the nurse.

He went through the doorway and the nurse went around to one of the many incubators in the room and put her hands in. She lifted a bundle of blankets and walked toward him.

Natsu's heart was thumping, exploding in his chest.

The nurse reached him and Natsu took one look at his and Lucy's daughter and broke out into a sob.

She had round chubby cheeks and upturned nose. Her little hand reached out at him and he marvelled at her tiny fingers. He counted each one as he reached a finger out to touch her hand. She was so soft and perfect. She was snuggled up looking so cute wrapped in a blanket with a cap nestled on her head.

With his breath caught in his throat, he slowly reached out, and gently tugged off the gray cap on her head-

Revealing a full head of vibrant pink hair.

Tears poured down his cheeks as he choked back another sob.

She had pink hair, beautiful and longer than he thought a baby's hair could be, but it was bright pink hair just like his own. Her skin matched his in darkness not the pale glow that Lucy had. She was a mini copy of him.

He could see her. He could see his girl how she truly was, not in the grays that now filled his vision and relief rushed over him because he hadn't lost everything that day.

"Can I-" His voice faltered. "Can I hold her?" He asked never taking his eyes off her.

The nurse smiled and showed him how to hold her before sliding her into his arms.

His daughter started gurgling and he felt tears trail down his cheek.

"I'll give you two a moment to get acquainted." The nurse said as she slipped out the door.

Natsu started bouncing her up and down like he had seen people do in the pregnancy videos Lucy made him watch.

"Hi baby girl." He choked out. "You're so beautiful. Your mother would be so amazed by you,"

He sniffled, trying to breathe but it was a useless gesture. "She loves you very much." He whispered. His tears hadn't stopped gushing down his face and Natsu didn't know how he could possibly have anymore tears left to shed.

"She- She can't be here with us-" He took a shaky breath. "But I'll try- I'll try so hard to be the best dad ever. I'll learn how to do hair and I'll drive you to all of your sports or music practices. And I'll encourage you through anything."

His heart was simultaneously breaking and stitching itself back together again, stuck in a strange paradoxical cycle. He squeezed her close to his chest. He had just met her but he loved so much already. But that joy was matched equally with his devastation of their loss.

He continued to bounce her, his eyes never straying from her beautiful face. Her short pink hair bounced lightly with his movements.

"I'll never be able to be what- what Lucy would have been to you but I'll love you so much-I already do." He sobbed.

He cradled her closer to him, never wanting to let her go.

He didn't think his heart could burst anymore but then she opened her eyes and Natsu almost collapsed to his knees.

She had her eyes. It was a perfect match of Lucy's big brown chocolate eyes, and Natsu felt a calm wash over him because Lucy wasn't completely gone, a part of Lucy was still alive in their daughter.

But it was more than that. His daughter was in color. She was the embodiment of their love together. Lucy and his love would always be alive through her.

With a small smile on his face, he whispered, "Welcome to world, Ember."

* * *

 _Eight years later_

Natsu sat back and watched as a head of pink hair ran back and forth between her friends. As the only bit of color he could see, it was easy to keep an eye on his daughter, running around their backyard. Her bright brown eyes shone with glee as she giggled her when her Aunt Juvia scooped her up and tickled her.

Natsu took a sip of his lukewarm beer, a small smile on his face at the sight of his joyous daughter.

He heard someone plop down in the seat next to him, the chair squeaking in protest.

"So, how you holding up?" Gray asked as he sipped his own beer.

Natsu rubbed his face. "She's been angry a lot recently. Won't tell me what's the matter." He grumbled.

"Got too much of your genes then." Gray teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Ha very funny." He looked up at his daughter again who was now play fighting with Gray and Juvia's son.

"Its just... she won't tell me what's wrong and she got really sad last night and I didn't know what to do." Natsu glared down at the gray grass. If Lucy was here she would know what to do, she was always so smart about these things. Natsu clenched his jaw and looked up. His daughter was staring at him, frowning. She stared at him a moment longer but then Levy wandered up to her, dragging her attention away from Natsu.

Gray nodded. "Maybe she only needs some time. She tells you everything."

Natsu nodded, uncertainly.

He was about to say more but just then a flash of pink ran by.

Natsu ran up and grabbed Ember, swinging her over his shoulders. She squealed, her bad mood gone for a moment. "Daddy!"

"Time for cake, you little munchkins!" He yelled out over their backyard.

Everyone gathered around to watch Ember blow out her six candles. He was surrounded by his family, people he loved and had known for years, but standing there taking a picture of Ember standing over her cake he couldn't forget the hole in his heart and yearn for the women who should be standing by Ember's side.

* * *

Natsu looked into his rearview mirror, seeing Ember slumped against the window, staring out of it glumly. Water misted the road but at least it wasn't raining. He turned down a dirt road, the rubble kicking up and rattling the car. He made a left and parked under a big oak tree.

Together him and his daughter, with dirt crunching under their feet, made their way to a stone structure. It sat on the top of a large hill overlooking a valley. Normally the view with the expanse of the sky above them and the stretch of the valley below them, was beautiful sight to behold. Today however, a gloomy mist clouded the sky and haunted the valley.

Ember ran her fingers along the indentions of the stone, catching the water droplets that had condensed upon it.

She kneeled down, laying the roses they brought at the foot of her mother's grave. When she stood back up dirt coated her knees but she didn't seem to care. She was frowning at it, Natsu noticed, eyeing her warily.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong baby girl?"

Her face scrunched even further into a frown. "Nothing." She mumbled turning away from him, shaking off his hand.

He walked around and knelt in front her of her, holding her in place with his hands on her shoulders. "Ember, please tell me what's wrong? You've been very angry lately and that's not like you. I'm worried about you-"

"You hate me don't you?"

Natsu's heart shattered. She didn't just say that, did she?

"What? Honey, no I-"

"If I wasn't here, then mommy would still be alive and that's why you hate my birthday because mommy died today and she wouldn't have died if it wasn't for me and- and-" She burst out into to tears. "I hate myself too, because she's your soulmate and-" She hiccuped and Natsu knew he should be saying something but his blood had froze and he honestly could not believe she was saying these things.

Ember stomped her foot, tears pouring down her cheeks. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" She wailed. "I never even got to meet her! Why did this happen to us!?

A pain he thought he buried long came bursting to the surface.

Natsu wrapped his arms around his baby girl, squeezing her tight, and patted her hair, trying to calm both her and himself down.

God it hurt. Six years and it still burned, the memory of her, because it wasn't fair. Bile scorched his throat.

He pulled back and took her face into his hands, her pink hair curling around, tickling his hands. "I could never hate you, not for one moment! Never think that again! I love you with everything I am!"

She sniffled. "But mom-"

"Was in a car accident! It had nothing to do with you! Without you-" He took a shaky breath. "I don't know how I would have survived. You were my lifeline, you kept me tethered. You are so amazing and your ability to love...it astounds me." His eyes scoured hers, trying to convey all the love he had for her. "You're so much like Lucy….You stitched my heart back together. As horrible this day is, it's just as precious because I got you." He wiped her tears with his thumb. "And I am so sorry if I ever made you feel worthless or unspecial because you are the exact opposite of those things."

He started to shake because he can't handle this. He can't handle the complexity of his love for her or his sadness over Lucy.

With a trembling voice he said with as much strength as he could muster, "I love you so much, so so much. Please..." His strength crumbled, leaving him raw. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me." He buried his head on her shoulder.

She started petting his hair. "I could never hate you, daddy."

She wrapped her tiny arms around his frame and held him as tightly as she could, while he held onto her like a lifeline.

It took almost an hour for Natsu to calm down. Ember sat in his lap while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Do you wanna know a secret?" He asked her, after he gained control of his breathing.

Ember turned around to look at him. "Tell me! Tell me!"

Natsu chuckled at her excitement. "Well, you know how the world is in black and white until someone meets their soulmate, then the world bursts into color?"

Ember nodded.

"Did you know that the world fades back to black and white when your soulmate dies?"

Ember sat up on his lap, putting her hands on his chest. "You can't see in color 'cause mom died?!" She looked at him then, her eyes widening. "You don't know what I look like?!" She exclaimed.

"No, I can't see in color anymore except for one thing. Do you know what that is?"

Ember shook her head.

"You." He booped her nose.

Her eyes widened. "You can see me color?"

Natsu smiled. "Yep! I can see your rose colored cheeks." He pinched said cheeks and the girl giggled. "And your wild pink hair." He pulled one her strands of hair.

"You know why I can see you in color?"

Ember once again shook her head.

"It's because I love you so much!" He said reverently. He pulled her into another hug, dotting her forehead in kisses.

"I love you too, Daddy."

They sat there telling Lucy everything that had happened in their lives since they last came to see her.

Eventually, Ember turned to him.

"How did you and mom meet?"

Natsu looked up into the dully painted sky. "Well it all started when I crashed into this beautiful girl….."

* * *

 _Forty years later_

Natsu opened his eyes. He blinked blearily, his vision slowly coming into focus. A bright blue sky engulfed his field of vision.

He frowned. Where was he?

He squeezed his hands into a fist feeling a soft crunch at the yellow grass in his grasp. He lifted his hand and skimmed the tips of the grass with his fingertips.

Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He lay there for several seconds relishing the soft wind brushing his face, swaying the grass. He took in a deep breath, relaxing at the calm of the moment.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

Blue. The sky was blue.

He shot up, twisting wildly to look around. All around him, for as far as he could see, were swaying yellow grass.

For some reason this didn't alarm him, only confused him.

A sharp gust of warm wind blew at from his left side, tangling his hair.

He turned and all the breath in his lungs escaped in a whispered gasp.

There she was, shining like the sun, smiling at him just like she had the first time she met him.

"There you are!" She smiled. "I've been waiting for you!"

"Lucy?" He whispered unsteadily. His lungs constricted painfully. He couldn't bear it if this wasn't real. It had to be real, his heart couldn't take anything less.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day or are you going to hug me?" She teased and thats when he knew.

He felt tears well in his eyes as he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her. He stuck his face in crook of her neck, taking a shaky breath. She still smelled like honey.

He felt her hand tangle in his hair which only made him cling to her more.

He was shaking when he pulled back to look at her.

He couldn't talk. All he could do was run his eyes over her face remembering and savoring her for all the moments he didn't have with her. She was smiling softly at him, with warmth in her beautiful brown eyes. She lifted a hand to his cheek and gently brushed his tears away.

"There's no need to cry now, Natsu. I'm right here."

She stepped out of his grasp but clasped his hand in hers, tugging him forward.

"It's time for a new adventure."


End file.
